Muhammad Bello Matawalle , the current Minister of State for Defence, has issued a warning to his political rivals to stop associating him with the activities of the fugitive bandit leader, Bello Turji, in the state......See Full Story>>.....See Full Story>>
In a statement released on Sunday, July 21, from the Minister’s office, Matawalle accused certain factions within the Zamfara State government of distorting the narrative regarding security issues in the region to cast him in a negative light.
Matawalle ‘s response came in reaction to a widely circulated audio-visual clip on social media suggesting a connection between him and banditry in Zamfara State.
The Minister specifically criticized the current administration led by the Peoples Democratic Party ( PDP ) for allegedly attempting to damage his reputation, asserting that he is innocent of any wrongdoing.
He said:
“The audio of Bello Turji was poorly synchronized with his video to falsely accuse the former governor of mishandling the reconciliation process conducted by the previous Zamfara State government.
“However, the video/audio editor unprofessionally disqualified his work so much that one can vividly notice the failure of the audio and video clips to simultaneously synchronise.”
He attributed the situation to the actions of individuals he labelled as adversaries of Zamfara and Nigeria’s advancement and those who opposed his ministerial nomination by President Bola Tinubu .
He stated that he had secured the necessary security clearances from relevant agencies before his ministerial confirmation.
He emphasized that his tenure as Zamfara State governor was characterized by humility, honesty, and fairness.
He reiterated that the audio-visual material in question was poorly fabricated and inadequately produced with the intent to damage his reputation, and therefore, should be dismissed by the public, Punchreported.
This incident occurred just a week after 46 residents of Dogon Kade were released by bandits following an alleged ransom payment of N21 million.